Whether you’re putting in new kitchen floors, redoing the master bath with your spouse, or fixing up an older home with a complete overhaul through a contractor, one constant remains. The mess. Dust and grime are going to have a major presence in your home while the work is being completed.

In the excitement of anticipating the final facelift, and wanting to get started quickly, don’t forget to do these 4 things to take down the grit factor in your home while you renovate.

Remove whatever isn’t nailed down

If you can lift it, move it, relocate it, or pack it-take it out of whatever room you’re remodeling. Sawdust, debris from demolition, and film and fumes can all damage your furniture, clothes, and other personal keepsakes. Moving them to a clean and safe place, preferably outside the home, will help protect your nice things.

Cover up what must stay in the room during renovation

If you have items that are too heavy, impractical or just plain impossible to move out of the way while you renovate, then innovate! Cover any counters, cabinets, or furniture with thick plastic, and secure it around those items as best you can. This will help keep the things that must remain intact during the renovation, as clean and protected as possible.

It is also a good idea to line hallways or other high traffic areas with plastic so you can avoid tracking the mess all over the rest of your home, and protect against any stains or spills that might happen during the process.

Sweep and vacuum regularly

Each day will come with new tasks and changes during your remodel, and however unwelcome, dust will tag along. Cleaning up all the materials, debris, and tools at the end of each day, and sweeping or vacuuming on a daily basis will help you keep things tidy and reduce the dust in your home.

Deep clean the entire house when you’re completed with your project

Even if you’re just remodeling one room or area of your house, dust and grit travel easily by air. When you’re done, you’ll marvel at the dirt and grime you find has migrated to the opposite end of the house, and you’ll want to scrub it out of every nook and cranny.

This can be a large to massive undertaking depending on the extent of the changes made to your house, so using a local, professional maid service is a great way to ensure you don’t get stuck with unwanted dirt and dust taking up residence in your beautiful new abode.

When it comes to remodels, it will get very messy before you’re finished and can unveil the final results of your hard work personalizing and upgrading your home. Make sure to keep the dust down and treat yourself to a professional deep clean at the end for a job well done.

Nobody really likes to have a small bathroom, but unfortunately, sometimes, that’s what you get when you buy a house. The good thing is that you can remodel that bathroom and try to make it into something you will be able to be happier with. Perhaps you have some really big ideas for that bathroom and you want to make them a reality. Unless you’re a DIYer who knows how to renovate your home, you probably want to leave it to the professionals. Here are four ideas for making your small bathroom seem bigger and more spacious.

Asian Influence

One thing you can do to make your bathroom appear more spacious is to utilize some Asian influence and make your bathroom similar to a stepped chest. This makes the design more fluid in the bathroom and using dark colors can make the walls seem to recede, making it appear more spacious. Remember to use a small, corner sink if you can or place your sink right next to the toilet to save even more room.

Ambient Bathroom

If you are trying to create a bigger looking bathroom, the use of ambient lighting can make a huge difference and make it look like the room is a lot more spacious than it actually is. You can also incorporate either a bathtub or a shower, placed opposite of the toilet. Sure, it won’t leave for much room in the bathroom, but it can make it fully functional and look a lot better than it did before. Remember, the ambient lighting is key.

Compact and Classy

When you do not have a lot of room, you know you can’t be spacing things out but you can have a tub, a toilet and a sink in your bathroom without it being a problem. Opt to have your bathtub placed next to a wall. Your toilet can be placed directly next to the tub with the sink next to the toilet. This will give you enough room to get in and out of the tub and walk without having to dodge something. With some darker colored paint or wood and soft lighting, you can make the bathroom appear bigger and less claustrophobic.

Zen Bathroom

Lets say that you have a bathroom with a window you don’t like and you don’t really have a lot of space to work with. You can opt to get a Shoji screen to cover up that ugly window and still allow the light that shines in to come through. A mirror hung on the wall can look beautiful above a table sink and a ladder, used as a towel rack can provide you with storage without taking up a bunch of extra room. Soft lighting can also make the room look bigger as well.

Now that you have some ideas on how to proceed with your small bathroom remodel look bigger, you can come up with a design that works for you and make that idea a reality. With the help of a skilled contractor, your new bathroom will be usable in no time at all!

We have all watched home improvement videos on the television of cowboy builders and construction jobs one wrong. But if you do your homework and have some prior knowledge, you can alleviate some of the pitfalls of hiring contractors when you make an important decision on your home.

So many people want to have their own swimming pool in their back yard because simply nothing allows them to relax more than a swim everyday. Having a pool in the backyard means family can spend memorable moments together at the same time. It allows children to learn swimming in a safe and comfortable environment with their family. Apart from the obvious enjoyment, swimming includes many overall health benefits. It can be very good for old people as it is very gentle on the bones and joints. Is one of the only exercises which exercises all parts of the body including the heart and muscles.

Although the benefits are clear, building a swimming pool is of course not a simple task. You will certainly need to find quality equipment and reputable builders in your local area to carry out the job. Some providers who offer the lowest price to clients or others slides or charge slightly more because they say they have a higher quality product, but how can you really tell that the swimming pool construction will be of a better quality?

When building a Swimming pool there are four main areas, which are needed in construction. If you have a swimming pool contractor, they will have the knowledge to choose the concrete fiberglass final liner and aluminum very carefully. This is an important stage. Of course, the shape and size of the swimming pool completely depends on the size of the garden and your particular budget. Be sure to make sure you are very clear of what you can afford and what design you want to

In the initial stages, your back garden will be marked ready for the next stage of construction, which will be taking the whole ready for the swimming pool. This is likely to need a motorized digger and hence will create a large amount of noise, so be prepared.

Check properly if it is now time to add the water. If your swimming pool contractor is professional, he will know exactly what chemicals are needed to add to the water to keep it a crystal clear blue so the water is clean for you and your family. This must be done very regularly so it is perhaps important that you have a swimming pool maintenance service to come to your home every two weeks.

Of course, the next best option to hiring contractors is to build your own pool, but this is not recommended unless you have some experience with building or construction in general.

With summer now being here, many people seem to find their electric bills rising and they’re not sure why. After all, the winter is much colder than the summer, and you’ll be paying extra to heat your home. The same goes for the summer, because you’re using air conditioners to cool your home, but if you’re considering what you’re spending on the air conditioners and your bill is still too high, you may have some concerns. If your electric bill seems to be too high, there are some things to take a look at before getting in touch with an electrician to see what the issue may be.

First of all, you need to take a look at your home. Are you living in a single family home or are you in a duplex? If you’re living in a duplex, you may find that you are actually getting charged for some of the electricity the other inhabitants are using. This is an issue many people run into, but you can get in touch with your landlord and an electrician to get the issue fixed and get the neighbor’s electric circuits detached from your unit.

If you’re living in a single family home and you find that the electric meter is still running when everything inside your home is turned off and unplugged, then you have an issue with a broken meter. This is rare, but it can and does happen. You will need to hire an electrician to come out and confirm that the meter is in fact broken. He or she will need to make a signed statement so that you can give it to your electric company and get the money back that you were overcharged for the issue.

There is no reason as to why you should have to pay extra for a bill that you did not run up. Spend the couple extra dollars and get an electrician in to see what the problem may be. He or she will be able to solve the problem with ease and get your electric bill back to what it should be.

Recent scientific studies have shown that making use of harsh chemical cleaning products does not in any way make homes safer to live in. In fact, the harsh chemicals can be very dangerous to not only the occupants of the home, but also the greater environment. These days, there are more and more home owners and professional cleaning companies that are making it a priority to make use of only green cleaning products. The numerous benefits attached to this change in approach make it a worthwhile consideration for all families

Improve indoor air quality

When you use harsh chemical cleaners, they tend to leave toxic gasses and residue in the air and on surfaces. It is not uncommon for these kinds of products to elicit asthma attacks in children sufferers. Green cleaning products are milder and can easily be found fragrance free, therefore limiting this risk. Using green cleaners is also safer for cleaning staff who may suffer some allergy problems. Many in the profession are believed to have developed certain health problems due to continued exposure to harsh chemicals over their career.

Preserve household surfaces

Harsh chemicals may work well in killing germs, but often they do not stop there. They can also eat away at wood and other surfaces. Some damage may mean having to re-wax or re-seal these surfaces more often than normal in order to restore their appearance. green cleaning products are safer for use as their residue does not cause costly deterioration of surfaces.

Easily accessible

There is some misconception that green cleaning products are more expensive that the commercial chemical kind. In reality, the cost of these products has come down considerably and is lower or comparable to chemical staples in the market. Not to mention that many can be made at home using common household ingredients like vinegar, baking soda and citrus oils.

Biodegradable

Because of the mild nature of these products, they are easily biodegradable. This makes them safe to dispose off in the surrounding environment. Chemical cleaners however tend to have a high level of toxicity, corrode and can even kill wildlife, like fish when disposed in waterways. Because the waste we produce when cleaning has to be disposed of in the environment, it is best to ensure the effect is minimal on both animals and vegetation. Less toxic waste is also generated by factories that produce green cleaning products.

When homeowners think of how they can save on their heating and cooling costs they often jump to the conclusion they need to hire an HVAC company to install a new furnace or air conditioning unit, and they often underestimate the impact that their landscaping can have. If you are in control of how the yard surrounding your home is organized, then here are a few ideas that can help reduce your energy bills and add value to the property.

Planting trees around doors and windows can reduce your heating and cooling costs by as much as 25%. Doors and windows are a key entryway for drafts. Having windbreaker trees obstruct the way can help to better regulate conditions within the home. The shade can also limit the penetration of sunshine into the home, allowing homeowners to comfortably adjust their thermostats to a lower setting during hot days.

Providing shade over outdoor seating areas like the patio can also encourage occupants to spend more time outdoors especially in the evenings and allow the thermostat to be adjusted earlier for better savings. If the trees can grow high enough to cover overshadow the roof, they can be a big help in limiting the problem of drafts coming in through the attic.

Smaller trees and shrubs should also be planted around the outdoor area where heating and air conditioning units sit outside. This provides a protective natural barrier to the elements that can allow them to run more efficiently.

Arbors are another interesting landscaping design idea that have been traditionally used to provide a cool environment to enjoy while outdoors. Be careful however when encouraging vines to grow over the structure. Do not allow the vines to cling to wood surfaces of the house as this may cause damage.

It is also worthwhile considering turf over gravel in the garden. When you have groundcover like turf in place, the evaporation and transpiration processes help to encourage cooler temperatures closer to the ground. This does not happen when you have rocks or gravel covering the surface. Some rocks and asphalt even absorb heat that takes a while to disperse even after the sun has set. Avoid reflective materials that will direct more sunlight into the house and increase cooling costs.

Depending on which region you reside, it is a good idea to consult an HVAC contractor or landscaping expert who can advise you on the best places to plant your trees so as to take advantage of their wind breaking ability and still enjoy plenty of shade. You can also get help on the best place to position your heating and cooling units so they suffer the least effects from outdoor exposure.

Another bathroom can help enhance usefulness and expand the estimation of your home. It can likewise simply make you more eager to begin your day. Notwithstanding, this sort of redesign can get very extravagant relying upon which changes or new establishments you’re looking to include. Including the majority of the fancy odds and ends will rapidly expand the expense of your task, said kitchen and bathroom renovations specialist from Calgary at Home Improvements Show. He imparted some knowledge to help you choose which of those augmentations are pointless and which are fundamental to your bathroom renovation. Here’s the means by which to best stick to your financial plan amid a bathroom renovation.

Select paint over tile

Wet rooms, in which the washroom dividers and ground surface are secured in tile, are turning into a well known lavatory redesign. Sometimes over the top tile can result in a few property holders to go over plan. Designer prescribed settling on paint over tile wherever it’s conceivable. Since numerous individuals pick divider tiles for stylish purposes, attempt an eye-getting paint design rather to decrease cost without yielding the look of your new restroom. Either paint one divider an alternate shading totally, or include stripes or an alternate striking example to a little area of the space to provide for.

Pick completes astutely

Metal, stainless steel and bronze are all wonderful options, but on the other hand they’re very costly. Brushed nickel and chrome are economical choices that can deliver a current look that permits you to stay inside your financial plan.

Stick to your current footprint

The expense of a venture can spike significantly when amplifying the space. Keep the majority of the remodels inside your current system for the slightest costly rebuild. There are various changes you can make to your washroom for a completely new look that doesn’t oblige extending it. First off, supplant old fashioned sinks, cupboards and tubs. You can also switch the floor tiling with something more down to earth and tastefully satisfying.

Don’t move the plumbing

Like development undertakings, changing the area of pipes can likewise seriously build the expense of your renovation. As opposed to change the position of the can or tub, make direct substitutions, exhorted the planner. Moving the pipes even an inch can be costly. Whether you’re moving it over an inch or 5 feet away, it will have the same cost result. Swap out a shower stall with a tub and trade your current sink vanity for a completely patched up look without the cost of reworking the pipes.

Limit the amount of glass you install

While it can give the room a smooth, uniform plan some people use a lot of glass as a part of their restroom redesign. Glass entryways and fringes can cost you a considerable measure of cash. Utilize a shower drape as a part of spot of a sliding glass entryway for a less costly option. Pick a reasonable drape to copy the look of a shower entryway at a small amount of the cost.